HCA, the largest hospital chain by revenue, has signed a deal to buy technology firm PatientKeeper, which produces software for physicians.
Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close later this year. More than 58,000 physicians use PatientKeeper's software and the Waltham, Mass.-based company has about 160 employees, according to a news release.
PatientKeeper's software helps automate many daily physician functions such as taking notes, checking for medication reactions, looking up laboratory results, and writing orders for tests and prescriptions. The company first launched its app 15 years ago for the Palm Pilot.
HCA's physicians have been using PatientKeeper for the past seven years, the release said. With this purchase, the Nashville-based chain will be able to upgrade its electronic health-record system to make it easier for doctors to use and be more interactive.
On a second-quarter earnings call, HCA CEO Milton Johnson said the company has been investing in physicians, technology and data analytics to support quality improvements.
It isn't alone. Tenet Healthcare Corp., another publicly traded chain, similarly announced Tuesday that its revenue-cycle-management division, Conifer Health Solutions, has acquired SPi Healthcare in a $235 million deal. The technology company offers billing and other practice management tools for independent and provider-owned physician practices.
PatientKeeper will operate from its current headquarters as an HCA subsidiary. Paul Brient, its current president and CEO, will continue to oversee operations.
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